Lucian didn’t say a word.
He simply stood there, staring at her.
His expression was unreadable.
Olivia held his gaze, her chest rising and falling as she took a deep breath.
Her hand slowly lowered.
She didn’t slap him.
But the hesitation in her eyes was clear.
From the side, Celestia stepped forward.
“It’s alright, Aunt Olivia,” she said softly, moving closer.
Olivia’s fingers curled slightly, her breathing still tense.
Celestia’s sharp eyes flicked between them, thoughts racing.
I can’t say Olivia was wrong for her outburst.
But the fact that she controlled her anger instead of letting it explode
That only proves how much she cares.
This situation was delicate.
It needs to be handled carefully.
She made her decision.
Taking a deep breath, Celestia turned to Olivia.
“Rose is fine, Aunt Olivia,” she reassured, her voice steady. “I think we should focus on what actually happened.”
Olivia’s gaze shifted to Rose, resting peacefully on the bed.
Her fingers twitched.
“…Yeah.”
Her eyes lifted back to Lucian, ready to question him
But before she could speak, Celestia stepped between them.
Closer to Lucian.
A clear stance.
“Let me handle this, mother-in-law,” Celestia said firmly.
She didn’t hesitate.
Didn’t even care anymore.
She had already spoken to Olivia about this before.
And she had her own questions for Lucian.
“Huh?!”
Olivia, about to say something, suddenly froze.
Her mouth was slightly open, but no words came out.
Meleonora, General Damian, and the purple-haired man their lips twitched violently.
Did she just say… mother-in-law?
Who is this unlucky woman?
This monster has a lover?!
Damn.
Meleonora blinked, confusion flashing in her mind.
Is she… Avey Starline?
It made sense.
She knew about the infamous rumors surrounding Lucian and Avey.
She had heard plenty of things.
But she hadn’t realized their relationship had gone this deep.
The last thing she remembered from the news
Avey Starline was supposedly pregnant when she rejected Prince Arthur’s marriage proposal.
So the Kane and Starline families finally made their decision, huh?
No wonder it was kept a secret.
Meleonora analyzed quickly, putting the pieces together in her mind.
…But she was wrong.
Because she didn’t actually know Celestia.
And she had no idea this wasn’t Avey.
Meanwhile, General Damian’s jaw nearly hit the floor.
Wait, what?!
Others in the room might not have recognized the woman who just called Olivia “mother-in-law.”
But he did.
He had met her mother the Queen countless times.
Princess Celestia?!
What the hell is she doing here?!
And more importantly
What does she mean by calling Olivia ‘mother-in-law’?!
His brain stopped working.
Did this mean she was involved with Lucian?
…Did the Queen know about this?!
The questions in his head were getting bigger and bigger.
At this point, he thought he had grown numb to all the insane things surrounding Lucian.
But now
This.
This was new.
Olivia didn’t know what to say.
For a moment, she simply stood there, trying to process everything.
Meanwhile, on the bed, Rose’s body trembled slightly
But it passed in an instant, unnoticed by anyone.
Just as Olivia was about to speak, Celestia took another step forward.
Her stance firm.
“Celestia, it’s not the time for that,” Olivia wanted to say
But before she could, Lucian spoke first.
“Umm… well… I’ll explain everything. Let me start.”
His voice was steady, yet hurried.
His focus wasn’t on Celestia at all.
He was far more concerned with completing his planned story before Rose woke up
Before his entire cover was blown.
Celestia’s eyes darkened.
He was ignoring her. Your journey continues on My Virtual Library Empire
She took another step forward.
Now, she was just inches away from him.
Her breath calm, her gaze unreadable.
And then
She reached out.
Her slender, white hand brushed against Lucian’s neck.
So close.
So delicate.
She wasn’t even fully aware of what she was doing.
“So…”
Her voice was dangerously soft.
“What were you doing in a nightclub last night, darling?”
Her fingers grazed his skin, as if absentmindedly caressing him.
Her eyes lifted, locking onto his.
Lucian blinked.
His mind was racing for answers.
“Celestia, it’s not the time for that. Let’s hear him out first” Olivia’s voice cut in from behind.
From her angle, she could only see Celestia’s back and Lucian’s face.
She had no idea what was happening between them.
Lucian cleared his throat.
“Ugh… me? Nah, I didn’t go to any nightclub first,” he said, shaking his head.
Celestia’s gaze sharpened.
“Oh? You weren’t?”
Her voice remained light, almost teasing.
But her nails suddenly pressed against his skin just slightly.
Her fingers trailed along his collar in what could easily be mistaken for adjusting it
But to those who could see clearly, it was something else entirely.
Lucian didn’t even notice.
He was too focused on formulating an answer.
She’s scarily smart.
He remembered the last time
At the restaurant, how she had almost made him spill everything without even trying.
This time, he had to be careful.
He needed an answer that wouldn’t raise suspicion.
“It was Rose who went to the nightclub last night. I was just”
“Rose?”
“Going to a nightclub?”
“No, she never does that.”
Olivia’s voice came sharply from behind.
Lucian.
Olivia stepping to the side, her angle shifting.
She was going to see.
At that moment
Celestia’s eyes went completely dark.
Her lips parted.
“…Lying to me,” she whispered.
So quiet, only she could hear it.
And then
Her fingers curled slightly.
Her delicate hand suddenly shifted
From a gentle touch to a grabbing motion.
Her movements were subtle, but from the side
Meleonora, the purple-haired man, Doctor Murphy, General Damian, and the butler
They all saw it.
They all froze.
Meleonora leaned closer to the purple-haired man.
“…Hey, is she doing what I think she’s doing?” she whispered.
“Ehh… I don’t think so. Why would she…?” The purple-haired man sounded unsure, eyes flickering. “I think she’s just fixing his collar.”
“…Is she?”
Meleonora squinted.
She couldn’t see clearly.
But General Damian could.
And his face was pale.
What’s going on…?
That expression on the princess’s face…
He recognized it.
Is that what i think it is…
Obsession.
Possessiveness.
The realization sent a chill down his spine.
She’s dangerous.
His heart pounded.
She’s not in her right mind.
Since when?
How?
Why?
What the hell
His mind was reeling but right now, that wasn’t the problem.
Well not for him…for lucain but also.
If this continued, it could escalate.
What if she did something stupid
Royal family and this crazy boy.
The consequences of a conflict between the two
He didn’t even want to imagine it.
He had to act.
Now.
Suddenly
COUGH.
General Damian coughed loudly, deliberately.
The sharp sound cut through the air.
Celestia blinked.
Her body stiffened.
As if waking up from a trance.
Her breath hitched.
She shook her head slightly.
And then
Her hand, which had been reaching toward Lucian’s throat, changed course.
Tap.
Instead of grabbing him
She lightly adjusted his collar.
As if that’s what she had meant to do all along.
General Damian exhaled deeply.
His heartbeat finally settled.
He had just barely avoided a disaster.
For now.
“Lucian, this isn’t a joke and you know that.”
Olivia’s voice was firm, her eyes sharp.
She finally stepped to the side, gently pushing Celestia aside.
Then, she turned her full attention to Lucian.
“You shouldn’t lie like this.”
Her tone wasn’t loud.
But it carried weight.
“Rose didn’t go to any nightclub last night.”
Her gaze didn’t waver.
“It would be better if you told me the truth.”
Lucian’s jaw clenched slightly.
She wasn’t backing down.
“And,” Olivia continued, her voice colder now, “I also checked the CCTV footage at home.”
Lucian’s breath hitched for a fraction of a second.
Her next words came slowly, deliberately.
“I didn’t see where you left from.”
“Why did you go out in secret?”
She took a step closer.
“And more importantly”
Her eyes flickered toward Rose’s unconscious form.
“What happened to her?”
Her voice softened, but the intensity in her gaze remained.
“Tell me the truth, Lucian.”
Rose, lying still on the bed, suddenly cracked open one eye just barely.
It was the smallest movement, subtle enough that no one noticed.
—–